ELEANA GORDON: Update: Bangladesh

FDD obtained a scanned copy of the leaflet that the Jamatul Mujahideen left behind at the site of one of 200 bombings that they orchestrated last week in Bangladesh. A translation into English is available here.  Anyone who still needs to be convinced that the war against terrorism is about democracy and freedom should read how the Jamatul Mujahideed themselves define their jihad: " In a Muslim country there can be no laws other than the laws of Allah. But it is a matter of great regret that in a land inhabited by 90 percent Muslims the laws of Allah are not enforced in Bangladesh. On top of it from the districts to the capital city in the courts of law justice is dispensed according to laws based on a man-made constitution."  In other words, their battle is to destroy Bangladesh's democracy and replace it with Islamic theocracy: "Jamatul Mujahideen discards the existing judicial system of the country and they stand for the demand for upholding Allah’s laws and faith in Allah.  At the same time it rejects the constitution that conflicts with Allah’s laws and calls upon all to abandon the so-called election process and run the affairs of state according to the laws of Allah and the traditions of the prophet." And who are their enemies? "The laws of the land are the brain-children of infidels, non-believers and Jews precisely to destroy Muslim mores and faith."

Comments

[Luke Meisner]

I remain unconvinced that "the war against terrorism is about democracy and freedom," at least insofar as that means continuing down the Bush administration's path of military intervention followed by a botched up attempt at nation building. (I also prefer not to use the term "war" at all when describing how we should address terrorism. It implies by its own logic that military combat is the solution.) A solution to terrorism should be about "economic development." A social system that effectively cultivates and protects a culture of human rights needs money to fund its operations. Before Bangladesh will be able to build such a system on its own, its economy must develop to the point that it has a tax base sufficient to support such a system.